Configuring A New PeerTube Instance

This guide will provide step-by-step instructions, with clear navigation details, to help you configure your platform effectively. We'll cover key settings to ensure your instance is set up for success.

Setup A Non-Root User

PeerTube by default sets up a root "superuser" for your instance so the first order of business is creating an account that you would actually use for uploads and typical day-to-day activities on the instance.

Create a New User Account

Overview > Create User

After logging in with your root credentials, navigate to the "Overview" section and click "Create User." It is crucial to create a separate user account for uploading content instead of using the "root" user. Remember that in PeerTube, usernames and channel names must be distinct. Your username will be your main identity, while channels are like playlists or specific shows.

Configure Your User Profile

Cog Menu > Manage My Account > Settings

Log in with your newly created user account and go to the profile settings in the top right.

• Upload a profile picture (192x192 pixels)
• Add a display name
• Write a brief description.

These details will represent you on the Fediverse and are essential to be identifiable and professional when publishing.

Basic Configuration

Customize the Homepage

Settings > Configuration > Homepage

This section lets you create a custom home page for your site. You can use HTML tags and PeerTube markup to design your custom layout. You can use their snippets to get started.

You then need to go to Settings > Configuration > Basic to enable the custom Home Page. Choose "Home" from the landing page menu. It is also perfectly fine to choose one of the other options as your landing page.

Set Up Instance Information

Settings > Configuration > Information

Setup the essential details for your instance which help orientate new users:

• Name: The value that shows up in the page title and search results
• Short description: Description which shows up in the about section of the info page
• Categories: The default categories used by the instance
• Banner: An banner (1920x317 pixels) which shows up on the about page and can be used by the custom homepage
• Square icon: An instance icon (192x192 pixels) enhances your instance's branding and can be used buy the favicon plugin in the step below to replace the favicon.

Set Up Instance Icon

Settings > Configuration > Information

Get the URL of the square icon from the step above and paste it into the "simplelogo" plugin to set your instance.

Adjust Basic Settings

Settings > Configuration > Basic

• Theme: Choose a theme (light or dark) which when combined with a custom home and icon is the easiest way to stand out.
• Disable Enable Signup: We recommend disabling signups initially until the instance is fully configured as it is a lot of work and a lot of resources handling new users.
• Default Video Quota & Daily Upload Limit: If you ever allow signups you will want to have this set to a low amount. Once a user has proven themselves trustworthy you can always increase people's allowance.
• Twitter/X: Change this field to a fediverse or your own Twitter handle. This field is by default set to the developer of PeerTube and it can show up when videos are posted on other platforms which is confusing

Follow Users and Instances

Settings > Federation

If there are any users or whole instances you would like to "feature" on your instance you can do this here. This is how you can have content from other instance searchable and showing on your instance.

Manage Plugins

Plugins/Themes > Search Plugins

Install official or recommended plugins, the two that FediHost installs by default are:

• Upload Instructions: Useful to remind users not to upload massive files over 2GB in size
• Simple Logo: Lets you replace the icon in the top left with a custom icon

Be aware of what plugins you have installed because some are broken or introduce bugs to PeerTube. If your instance exhibits some unexpected behaviour, the first thing to do is uninstall plugins. are broken

Configure Transcoding Sizes

Configuration > VOD Transcoding

If you are wanting to save space we recommend:

• Web Videos & HLS: Disable "Web Videos" and just keep "HLS with P2P support"
• Resolutions: Choose 2-3 resolutions for your videos to increase the chances of P2P transfer and reduce the amount of storage used.

Custom CSS

Configuration > Advanced

Custom CSS tweaks to alter the color pallet of the site can be done here using CSS variables. If you want to do more major changes later you can always create and upload a custom theme.

Final Steps and Considerations

Upload your first videos and review your homepage to ensure it looks as intended. Monitor your instance and adjust settings as you upload videos. After you feel confident with the platform, consider enabling user signups.